GAS LIFT DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 1. Introduction & Basic Principles of Gas Lift Gas Lift Design And Technology OSchlumberger1999When a well is completed, a series of conductor pipes and accessories are instalad during well completion operations. The basic components ofthe system are labeled in Figure 1.2. This isa simplified iustration of a cased hole single zone completion, Dual and triple completions are much more complex and will not be considered here ‘The inner surface of the well bore is supported by the casing string. There may be up to three separate casing strings including a surface and intermediate string. The space between the tubing and casing is called the annulus. The packer seals the annulus just above the producing zone. The casing has been perforated adjacent to the producing zone to allow entrance of gas and liquid products into the wellbore or the tubing string may extend into the open hole, When reservoir drive does not provide enough pressure to lift fluids to the surface, additional equipment must be installed to help lift the fluids. There are four basic types of artificial lift: sucker rod pumping, hydraulic pumping, centrifugal pumping and gas lft Figure 1-2 Completed Well Table 1.1 compares these systems and lists the advantages and disadvantages of each. As you can see there are two basic types of gas lift used in the oil industry. They are called continuous flow gas lift and intermittent gas lif. The two types operate on different principles and it is always advisable to treat them as two separate subjects. Gas Lift Design And Technology OSchlumberger999Advantages and Limitations of Gas Li The flexibility of gas lift in terms of production rates and required depth of lit cannot be matched by other methods of artificial lift for most wells if adequate injection gas pressure and volume are available. Gas lft is considered one of the most forgiving forms of artificial lift since a poorly designed installation will normally gas lift some fluid. Many efficient gas lift installations with wireline retrievable gas lift valve mandrels are designed with minimal well information for locating the mandrel depths upon initial well completion in offshore and inaccessible onshore locations. Highly deviated wells that produce sand and have a high formation/liquid ratio are excellent candidates for gas lift when artificial lift is needed. Many gas lift installations are designed to increase the daily production from flowing wells. No other method is as ideally suited for through-flow-line (TFL) ocean floor completions as a gas lift system. Maximum production is possible by gas lft from a well with small casing and with high deliverability and bottomhale pressure, Wireline retrievable gas lift valves can be replaced without killing a well with a load fluid or pulling the tubing. Most as lift valves are simple devices with few moving parts. Sand laden well production fluids do not pass through tho ‘operating gas lift valve. The subsurface gas lift equipment is relatively inexpensive. The surface injection gas control equipment is simple and light in weight, This surface equipment requires litle maintenance and practically no space for installation, The reported overall reliability, replacement and operating costs for subsurface gas litt equipment are lower than for other methods of lift ‘The most important limitation of gas lift operation isthe lack of formation gas or the availablity of an outside source of gas. Other limitations include wide well spacing and unavailable space for compressors on offshore platforms. Gas lft is seldom applicable to single well installation and to widely spaced wells that are not suited for a centrally located power system. Gas lift is not recommended for lifting viscous crude, a super-saturated brine or an emulsion, Old casing, dangerously sour gas and long small 1D flowlines can eliminate gas lift operations. Wet gas without proper dehydration will reduce the reliability of gas litt operations. Designing systems of artificial lft requires obtaining considerable information about well condition, Although some measurements are taken, some of the required data must be estimated by making certain inferences from available data. A system of nomenclature has been adapted by petroleum experts to designate certain well data, 13 Gas Lift Design And Technology OSchlumberger1999(sen ag cas (aro) ot auto ew wn Rt st Fieure Well Fluids A Producing Well Quantities of gas (Q) are expressed in scf or standard cubic feet, defined as a cubic foot of a gas under standard conditions (14.73 psia and 60°), or [M3] M3. standards are 20° C and 101.32 kPal. The change in any variable, from ‘one point to another, is referred to as a gradient (G). A number of gradients (pressure and temperature) are observed as one travels up and down the tubing string. For a gas lift system to work correctly the following basic concepts and components must be understood. 1. The well is capable of production but lacks reservoir energy to raise the produced fluids to the surface. These fluids will rise to some point called the static fluid level and must be lifted from that point to the surface by artificial means, 2. The gas pressure must be adequate for injection into the well. Either it has sufficient pressure to make the gas lift system operate, or it must be compressed to raise the pressure. The volumes of gas to be used and the pressures available to the well will have been taken into account in designing the gas lift installation. The gas line bringing the input gas to the well will be of adequate size and pressure rating to handle the gas supply. Before connecting the gas line to the control equipment, it is essential that the line be flushed for a period of time to eject all foreign matter such as dirt, trash, etc, from the line, Much of the control equipment is susceptible to being plugged with such foreign matter, giving rise to operating problems in the future. Gas Lift Design And Technology OSchlumberger1999GAS LIFT VALVES: AA gas lift valve is designed to stay closed until certain conditions of pressure in the annulus and tubing are met When the valve opens, it permits gas or fluid to pass from the casing annulus into the tubing. Gas lift valves can also be arranged to permit flow from the tubing to the annulus. Figure 1.9, shown on the following page, illustrates the basic operating principles involved. Mechanisms used to apply force to keep the valve closed are: (1) metal bellows charged with gas under pressure, usually nitrogen; and/or (2) an evacuated metal bellows and a spring in ‘compression. n both cases above, the operating pressure of the valve is adjusted at the surface before the valve is run into the well. The bellows dome may be charged to any desired pressure up to the pressure rating ofa particular valve, The compression of the spring can be adjusted. All gas lft valves when installed are intended for one way flow, ie. check valves should always be included in series with the valve. The forces that cause gas lift valves to open are (1) gas pressure inthe annulus and (2) pressure ofthe gas and fluid in the tubing, As the discharge of gas and liquid from the tubing continues and well conditions change, the valve will close and shutoff gas flow from the annulus In the case of a continuous flow system, the one valve at the point of 4 injection will remain open, thus, the injection of gas will be continuous In the case of intermittent flow, the injection valve opens and closes while the upper valves in the well may open to assist lifting the slug to the surface. The gas injection valve, placed at the bottom of the fluid column in the tubing, will open when pressure in the annulus reaches the required pressure and close when pressure falls below that level. Gas lift valves using pressure operation principles date back to the King Valve patented in 1944, and numerous bellows operated valves have been developed since that date. A most significant contribution to the industry was the invention of the Wireline Retrievable Valve in 1954 ‘An operating gas lift valve is installed to control the point of gas injection. Valves are installed above the desired point of injection to unload the well. After unloading, they close to eliminate gas injection above the operating valve For most continuous flow designs, the operating gas lift valve acts as a pressure regulator while the surface choke provides for gas flow regulation. 19) Gas Lift Design And Technology ©Schlumberger19995. To backflow saltwater disposal wells to remove sands and other solids that can plug the perforations in the well 6. In water source (aquifer) wells to produce the large volumes of water necessary for water flood applications Although other types of artificial lift may offer certain advantages, gas lift is suitable for almost every type of well to be placed on artificial lift. An added advantage to gas lft is its versatility. Once an installation is made, changes in design can be accomplished ta reflect changes in well conditions. This is particularly true when wireline retrievable valves are used. It should be remembered that “natural flow" can be a form of gas lift. The energy of compressed gas in the reservoir ‘may be the principle force that raises the fluids to the surface. The energy of compressed gas is utilized in two ways: 1. Pressure of the gas exerted against the oil at the bottom of the tubing is frequently sufficient to lift the entire column of oil to the surface. 2. Aeration of the column of oil by gas bubbles entering it at the bottom of the tubing reduces the density of the column of oil. As the gas moves up the tubing, gas expands because of the reduction of pressure and the column of oil becomes even less dense. With the density of the column thus reduced, less pressure is required from the reservoir to discharge the oil to the surface, Natural flow in the well continues until a change of conditions causes it to cease flowing. One change is the depletion of reservoir pressure until it no longer exerts sufficient force to mave the ail up the tubing, A second change is the increase of water percentage in the flow. When a well “loads up* with water from the reservoir, more pressure is required to lift the column of fluid as water is denser than oil. Also, the water does not contain gas in solution that would reduce the density of the column. The term gas lift covers a variety of practices by which gas is used to increase the production af a well or to restore production where the well is dead. It may require a perforation or a jet collar in the tubing string, or the more complex devices, gas lift valves, which are manufactured to meet specific operating conditions and placed in the well according to carefully developed formulas. Gas lift may operate continuously or intermittently. It may be installed in a well at any depth from a few hundred feet [100 meters] to twelve thousand feet [3700 meters] or more. The basic principles of natural flow and gas lift are essentially the same, i. density of the column is reduced and pressure raises the fluid to the surface. In a gas lift well, the gas is introduced from extemal sources under controlled conditions through gas lft valves installed for that purpose. Gas Lift Design And Technology ©Schiumberger1999Closed Rotative Gas Lift System Most gas lift systems are designed to recirulate the lit gas. The low-pressure gas from the production separator is piped to the suction of the compressor station. The high-pressure gas from the discharge of the compressor station is injected into the well to lift the fluid from the well. Excess gas production may be sol, injected into a formation or vented to the atmosphere. This closed loop for the gas is referred to as a closed rotative system. Continuous flow gas lift operations are preferable with a closed rotative system because of the constant injection gas requirement and constant return of the gas tothe low pressure facilites. Intermittent gas lit operations are particularly dificult to regulate and operate efficiently in smal closed rotatve systems with limited gas storage capacities inthe low and high pressure gas lines and surface facili CONTINUOUS FLOW GAS LIFT The principle underlying the continuous flow gas lift method is that energy resulting from expansion of gas from high pressure to a lower pressure is utilized in promoting the flow of well fluids in a vertical tube or annular configurations. Utilization of this gas energy is accomplished by the continuous injection of a controlled stream of 488 into arising stream of well lids in such a manner that useful work is performed in lifting the well fluids. A simplified analogy (Figure 1.10) illustrates this type of fluid flow system. Assume that a centrifugal pump rotating ata given speed takes liquid from an infinitely large reservoir and raises it vertically in a tube to a specified height (hp) above the surface of the reservoir. At this point, shutoff head occurs and pump discharge pressure {K) is equivalent to hy feat of liquid. For simplicity, pump head vs, capacity is assumed to be a straight-line relationship. Under these conditions, (Figure 1.1 2A and B), the pump shut-off head is not great enough to force liquid to the top of the tube. This situation is analogous to a well having insufficient bottom hole pressure to produce by natural flow. Well depth equals D, static pressure equals K, and the well's producing ability corresponds to the head capacity characteristics of the centrifugal pump. If gas is injected into the tube at a point below the static liquid level, (Figure 1.1 2C and O}, the gas will bubble upward through the liquid because of the difference in density of the two fluids. The column above the point of gas injection becomes a mixture of gas and liquid and when gas is injacted at sufficiently high rates, liquid will be carried to the top and discharged from the tube. As a result, the pressure inside the tube at the point of injection will be lower than it was when the column was static liquid. The pressure at the pump discharge will be lowered by proportionate amount (to K) and flow of liquid through the pump will commence. For a fixed rate of gas injection, there will be stabilized flow of liquid through the pump and out the top of the tube. Gas Lift Design And Technology ‘OSchlumberger1999Other arrangements of equipment can be used. About the only limitations are that there must be an adequate passageway for gas to travel downward to the point of injection and a conduit of adequate size which the gas and well fluids flow up and out of the well {tis generally intended that, during continuous flow gas lift, only one valve will be admitting gas to the tubing and that valve will be as deep as the available gas pressure will permit. Valves above this operating valve will take part in initiating flow from the well but they are designed to close when the relation between well draw-down and available injection pressure permits sufficient gas to be injected through a lower valve. The construction and ‘operation of gas lift valves will be covered in the Valve Mechanics Unit of this study quide, Co Figure 1.11 Continuous Flow Gas Lift Installation INTERMITTENT GAS LIFT METHOD As the name implies, intermittent gas lift operates on the principle of intermittent gas injection. This means that gas lift injection occurs for a certain length of time and then stops. After a period a period of time has elapsed, injection again takes place and the cycle is repeated. ‘The principles of the intermittent gas lift cycle are illustrated in Figure 1.12. The equipment arrangement shown ‘schematically indicates five gas lift valves. There can, of course, be more or less than this number in an actual installation. In the following description of the intermitting cycle, Valve No. 5 is the first one that opens; hence, it is the operating valve, Gas Lift Design And Technology ©Schlumberger1999indexes that generally result in relatively low producing rates. A low productivity index means that the buildup of ‘well fluids in the bottom of the well will take place over a fairly long period of time, Open and Closed Gas Lift Installations Most tubing flow gas lft installations will include a packer to stabilize the fluid level in the casing annulus after a well has unloaded. A packer is installed in a low flowing bottomhole pressure well to prevent injection gas from bowing around the lower end of the tubing. A closed gas lift installation implies that there is a packer and a Standing valve in the well. An installation without a standing valve is referred to as semi-closed, which is widely Used for continuous flow operations. An installation without a packer or standing valve is an open installation. ‘An open installation is seldom recommended unless the well has a flowing bottomhole pressure that significantly exceeds the injection gas pressure and packer removal may be difficult or impossible because of sand, scale, etc. Casing flow gas lift requires an open installation since the production conduit is the casing annulus. A packer is Fequired for gas lifting low bottomhole pressure wells to isolate the injection gas in the casing annulus and allow surface control of the injection gas volumetric rate to the well, Most intermittent gas lift installations will include a packer and possibly a standing valve. Although illustrations of nearly allintermittent gas lift installations show a standing valve, many actual installations do not include this valve. If the permeability of the well is very low, @ standing valve may not be needed. ‘The advantages of a packer are particularly important for gas lift installations where the injection gas line pressure varies or the injection gas supply is periodically interrupted. If the installation does not include a packer, most wells ‘must be unloaded or partially unloaded after each extended shutdown. More damage to gas lift valves can occur uring unloading operations than any time in the life of a gas lift installation. If the injection gas line pressure varias, the working fluid level changes in an open installation. The results liquid washing action through all of the valves below the working fluid level. This continuing fluid transfer can eventually flud-cut the seat assemblies of these lower gas lift valves. A packer stabilizes the working fluid level, thus eliminating the need for unloading after a shutdown and the fluid washing action from a varying injection gas line pressure. Gas Lift Design And Technology ©Schlumberger1999Figure 1-13 through 1-20 detail the unloading sequence in a continuous flow gas lift wel Gf ite ele T Seer con < os a si] me E Sw a in 7 1 van dt —— caste Pmessu ae FIGURE 1-13 ‘The i evel nthe cing ante bing at rc Non iting am aise produce Alte ali ae wpe, The set pen eves pied ewe ea cas a ue. 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Whe ig pete operas ew lean ithe ‘Hhngresre ees phe sve sed pra an popes ce aera renron int wt esa vae ph cases te ‘Sneucse Uy el snc hoses oe oc ed ng renoved woop vae and 121 Gas Lift Design And Technology ©Schlumberger1999FIGURE 1-21: Example of the Unloading Sequence Casing Operated Valves and Choke Control of injection Gas ol — - ccooen 12008 eO0AM py 80080 1200PM —GHODPM O60 PH 1.23 Gas Lift Design And Technology ©Schlumberger1999